The Quest Chapters 5-8
by Chris Waters
Summary: Sorry it took so long. Here's the continuing story of Wario's rebellion against the evil Luigi.


(See part one for title, author, disclaimers, and other stuff. This time around, chapters are a little bit longer. Bear with me. And sorry it took so long, had a little Writers Block for a bit while writing this.)

CHAPTER 5: AN UNLIKELY ALLY

Geno was starting to regret joining Wario in the star piece quest.

Ever since they ended their battle with Pauline for the first star piece, they had gotten into one mess after another. Whether it be getting in a fight, setting off some ancient trap, or getting caught in the middle of the public dispute, the two seemed to be magnets for trouble. 

And now, they were trying to outrun a mob of angry Koopas.

"How....is it....that you....get in....so many....problems?" Geno asked while running. 

"Because...I like...the danger!" Wario stated with a twisted smile. Geno just sighed as they continued to run off. Over hills, through woods, and across plains they ran, eventually outrunning the Troopas chasing them.

But also running into a group of the comrades.

"Come with us or die." The lead Troopa, who could be distinguished by a long flowing gold cape on the back of his shell, stood boldly with his troops. The other Koopas held sharp spears to Wario and Geno, surrounding the two Star Catchers from all sides. Wario didn't seem willing to give up.

"COME ON YOU PUNY TURTLES, I'LL TAKE ALL YA ON!"

But before Wario could charge at them, electric bolts came out of the spears they had. The last thing Wario saw was the lead Koopa taking the 3 Star Pieces they had. After that, all was dark.

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Wario soon awoke by being slammed hard into a dark room. He quickly got up and brushed himself off, and then looked at his surroundings. The room, as he expected, was a prison cell. In it were two dingy, poorly kept beds, various skulls and other parts of skeletons, a few rats, and one small window.

Also here, as he would have expected, was his "partner" in this mission, Geno.

"YOU..." Wario began, staring down the dollman angrily. "how could you, who is supposedly so powerful, let ourselves get captured by a bunch of stupid turtles?"

Geno sighed. "Listen, even if I was able to use my powers, there would be no way I could take them all out. And besides, what would have happened if we did? Do you really think that that was all the force that these people had?"

Wario looked at Geno. If there's one thing he hated, it was how this Star Road Visitor could always bring logic into the fold and make Wario realize how stupid he acted at times. Wario walked away from Geno and hit the door. "Great, so now what are we gonna do? We're in here, they have the Star Pieces, and that means that Luigi'll be getting them any time soon."

"Do you have such little faith in each other?" A new voice said.

Both Wario and Geno looked at each other in confusion, then to the source of the voice. Sitting there now, in a place that was once empty, was a strange figure in long black robes. He seemed to be watching Geno and Wario intently.

"Just who the hell are you?" Wario asked, trying to remain bold.

"My name" the figure began "is of no importance Wario. For now, you may just call me Ghost."

Geno stared at the one called Ghost for a bit. For some reason, Geno seemed to find this character familiar. "Tell me, were you..."

Ghost turned to face Geno. "Yes, I was the one that summoned you back to this realm, Geno. I felt that Wario could need your help and guidance."

"Well, that's where you're wrong, cloaked one. I don't need ANYONE'S help."

Ghost sighed as he turned to look at Wario again. "Tell me, who was it that saved you from that attack that Pauline started? Who was it that helped you out of that Bob-omb field without getting blown to smithereens?"

Wario internally got mad, but let down his mostly rough exterior. Ghost was right. Though he didn't like to admit it, Wario's butt was saved too often by Geno. "Yeah, sure. Whatever. But I'm sick of this small talk, why are you REALLY here?" Wario asked.

Ghost chuckled a bit. "Always to the point, aren't you? Very well, I'll tell you. I am here to tell you about another ally that will join your cause if you find him."

"Another ally?" Geno asked, curious.

"Yes. He's here in this very complex, and he'd be willing to join you if you tell him the right thing. And he'll be a great asset to your cause."

Wario grunted in surprise. "That's all well and good, but it's not doing us much good when we're trapped in this place."

Ghost didn't reply with words. Instead, he just got up and pressed one of his white-gloved hands onto the door. Wario watched closely, while Geno started stepping back. Sensing what Ghost was about to do, Geno grabbed the straps on the back of Wario's overalls and pulled him away...

...just as Ghost blew the steel door holding them in clear off it's hinges.

"Wow." both Wario and Geno said at the same time. Wario looked to Ghost. "You sure you can't join us?"

Ghost shook his head. "I am only here in extreme cases and as a guide. This is your mission Wario. I cannot get involved. Good luck."

And with a flash of light, Ghost was gone.

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He sat in his cell, where he had been for over a year now. Time had gone by slowly since his capture. As he sat there, he thought about the past that was, for the most part, so good to him. He remembered the things he did, the groups he led, the family he had...now all stripped away by a new evil lord. He sat there, waiting, never believing that something good would happen to him again.

That is, until he heard the voices outside his door.

"Hey, anyone in here?"

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Wario stood in front of the prison door, talking into the small portal of the door where food was passed through. "If someone's in here, please respond."

"Who's there?" a gruff voice replied from inside the cell. Wario sighed. After looking through every other prison door, they found a cell that had someone in it at the time.

"We're people looking for some allies against Luigi. You interested?"

There was an unnerving silence for a bit. Then, "Will I be able to get my hands on Kamek if I want?"

Wario looked to Geno, confusion on his face. Geno seemed to understand what was going on better than Wario did, and just nodded to who most considered a deformed Mario. "Yes, you'll get him if you help us."

"All right. Get me out and I'll join ya."

Wario motioned to Geno to get ready. "You better stand back in there, or the door's gonna fly right at you."

After listening to the shuffling, Wario nodded to Geno. The dollman fired one of his blasts, while at the same time Wario charged forearm first at the wall. The combination of the two attacks easily destroyed the door, which seemed thinner than the one that held them in. The two figures looked into the dark cell...

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He stepped back when asked to, a little bit of a smile on his face. As he listened outside, he knew that soon he would be free. And he was gonna be helping two people he knew from his past. 'Kamek' he thought as he got ready to reveal himself 'be prepared for my wrath.' With that, he stepped into the light.

Wario and Geno watched with open mouth at who came out. The figure was large, to say the least. The face was recognizable by his sharp teeth and horns on the head. He wore no clothes, at least not clothing by human standards, and had a large shell on his back. Both Geno and Wario knew right away who it was.

"Bowser, is that you?" Wario asked.

The tall spike-shelled lizard grunted. "So, you and doll-head are the ones who busted me out. One problem...no one has escaped here alive."

Wario and Geno looked to each other, knowing that they were in trouble from that comment.

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CHAPTER 6: BREAKOUT

"WHAT IS GOING ON DOWN THERE?"

Donkey Kong held his head as Lord Luigi yelled at him over the intercom system. A few minutes ago, there were two failures of door locking systems on level 25 of the prison that he worked in, and now there were 3 heat signatures sensed down on that very level.

"J...just a minor attempt at escape, Lord Luigi. They won't make it, no one ever has."

"Make sure of that, Kong. Those three are the biggest threat to my power. I don't want them to survive to face me. Fail me and be punished."

D.K. shuddered after hearing Luigi say this. When he said something, he meant it. D.K. quickly grabbed a microphone and turned on the loudspeaker for the entire prison to hear.

"Attention, all troops. Prisoners attempting to escape on level 25. Capture them now! Out"

With that, D.K. grabbed his cape and sword and walked out to find them. D.K. hated his job with a passion, but knew better than to confront the dark lord. 'Hell, it's my fault.' D.K. thought to himself. 'I was the one that decided to have the family join.' Kong sighed as he thought about that. He convinced the other Kongs, including his nephew Diddy, to join up with Luigi upon his first step onto Kong Island. When he did, he hoped that Luigi's forces would spare his family.

Things didn't turn out as expected. D.K. still had flashes in his mind of the way that Pauline killed off his family. Slowly but painfully she sliced into their chests, killing off all the Kongs but himself. Now, only he remained.

"Donkey Kong sir, we lost the prisoners."

D.K. snapped out of his flashback upon hearing one of his workers talk. He put on his gruff exterior and stared down the Troopa. "Where did they go before you lost them?" he asked the Koopa forcefully.

"Down hallway 96-B, sir!"

Kong thought for a few about what was down hallway 96-B. He couldn't place his finger on it, but something was familiar about that designation number.

He quickly remembered what was down that hallway when all the lights in the hallway went out.

"They're in the main power supply!"

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Deep in the prison, Wario, Geno, and Bowser were running quickly. It was lucky for them that they found the main power supply, or they'd be back in their cells to rot away in their cells for whoever knew how long. As they ran down the blackened hallway, which was lit for them by Geno's power, they had to avoid various hazards that were in the way. Geno was impressed that Wario thought of this.

"Just one question" Geno began, blowing up a large crate in their way "how did you think of this Wario."

"Come on Geno" Bowser began. "Blackouts are a common thing for villains to do."

"All right both of you, shut up." Wario said. "Talk AFTER we get out of this place."

"Hmm, we gotta find an exit and fast." Geno stated.

"Good luck in that mission." Bowser snorted smugly. "I haven't seen one exit in this entire place."

Wario was about to say something, when the voices of the guards and their footsteps were heard running down the hallway. This was something that this group didn't need. "Crap...we need a diversion."

"Leave that to me." Bowser said, cracking his massive knuckles as he charged towards the guards. Geno and Wario just shrugged as they continued looking for a way to get out of the prison.

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Donkey Kong got confused at what he saw.

Down in the hallway, he saw a small light and what he thought was two familiar figures and one that he had never seen before. They seemed to be conversing about something, which is why D.K. stopped his troops from attacking the group. Now things were different, as one of the members of this group broke off from the other two and charged right at them. "Stay frosty." D.K. said to his troops, knowing they were shaking in their collective boots at the sheer size of this prisoner. Kong had a feeling this wasn't going to be good.

Turns out, he was right. The prisoner overtook all the troops that D.K. had with him like they were nothing. But something strange happened after that: The prisoner just stared down Kong, as if studying him to find out his intentions.

"So, they got you on his side, eh?"

Kong was surprised. Not just of the prisoner's voice, which sounded somewhat familiar to him, but that the prisoner was willing to talk to him. "Who are you?" Kong asked, holding his gun up to the prisoner's face.

"After only two years you forget me so easily? You forget a King of evil?"

Kong was taken aback at this. "Bowser? Is it really you?"

The two villains faced each other out of the shadows, meeting face-to-face for the first time in over 2 years.

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Wario and Geno had finally found a way out. Of course, since Wario was leading the way, it was a risky, makeshift exit.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Geno said, slowly adjusting his cape to make it into a parachute.

"Hold on, wood brain." Wario said, looking back to where Bowser was going. Wario didn't have many friends per say, mostly because he preferred not to make any, but Bowser was as close to being a friend to him as possible. Wario then made a decision that he thought that he was gonna regret later and ran back towards where Bowser ran off to.

"Wario, what are you doing?" Geno asked as Wario ran off.

"I'M GONNA GO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON! BOWSER'S TAKING TOO LONG!"

Before Geno could reply in any way, Wario was out of reach. 'Ooh, that guy is so annoying at times' he thought as he followed Wario down the hall. 'If and when we get out of here, I'm gonna have to give him a Geno Beam Enema.' As he stepped over the fallen guards that lay before him, he stepped into the light that filled the corridor. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he was surprised.

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"Are you sure that you want to go through with this?"

Donkey Kong sighed at Wario's question. The group of Wario, Kong, Bowser, and Geno had been talking for the past 20 minutes about what had been going on and what the 3 rebels had planned. Kong agreed to help the group out, and thus was asked that question by Wario. "Yes, I'm very sure. Luigi needs to pay in some way for killing everyone that I loved, and this might be the best way."

"But if you continue with your plan" Geno began, a genuine sense of worry in his voice "then you might not survive."

"I know what I'm doing." Kong replied curtly, seemingly not worried about what would happen. As they approached the door, Bowser looked to Kong and smirked. "Funny, I never thought you'd help us villains out again."

"I never thought that you would be a hero." Kong replied as the group went out. Just before Wario exited, Kong called him back in.

"What is it?" Wario asked, seemingly impatient.

"I just wanted you to have something that I almost forgot about." With that, Kong reached into his uniform and pulled out the three star pieces and a blue one as well. "You said that you were looking for these things, I think this should help you a bit."

Wario smirked happily and took the four stars, then saluted Donkey Kong and exited. Bowser and Geno were waiting for him outside.

"What took you so long?" Geno asked impatiently.

"Trying to be the sentimental fool you are?" Bowser joked, knowing that the description did not fit Wario at all. Geno and Bowser both kept accusing Wario of doing stuff that wasted time while Wario simply pulled out the four Star Pieces that Kong gave him out. The other two quickly went quiet and ran off to look for the other stars.

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"Kong, you stupid ape, come in!"

Kong listened to Kamek, Luigi's second-in-command, trying to call him over the speakers. But he didn't care. Soon, after all the prisoners of Luigi escaped, all the problems that Luigi and his crew gave him would end for him. As he saw the last prisoner escape, Kong grabbed the microphone. "Kamek, give this message to Luigi for me." Kong then hung up, and with teary eyes pressed another button. 'See you soon, my family.' was Kong's last thought before fire and explosions enveloped him.

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"LORD LUIGI, URGENT NEWS!"

Luigi sat up with a start in his bed. Pauline was next to him in the bed, and she sat up as well, hiding the scars on her body that Luigi gave him. Luigi turned to see Kamek, hysterical, standing in his doorway. "Kamek, how many times have I told you NOT to interrupt me during my work?"  
"Sorry sir, but this is important. Wario and Geno have escaped, and they have Bowser with them!"

"WHAT?" Luigi yelled, angrily getting out of the bed and into his armor. "Damn that ape, what is he doing?"

"That's the other thing" Kamek continued. "Kong blew up the prison, with him inside."

Luigi was thoroughly pissed off right now. First he loses his prisoners, and then he finds out that a prison of his was blown up. He was sick and tired of what was going on. "PAULINE! Get ready for battle! We're gonna end this once and for all."  
"Yes sir!" Pauline replied, getting out of the bed and getting her machine-parts back in order. With that Luigi turned back to face Kamek.

"Kamek, I'm sick of all the delays and inconveniences. Send out the Squad."

The Magikoopa stood in fear when Luigi gave that order, but just nodded and ran off. Luigi's eyes glowed evilly at his plan.

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CHAPTER 7: PEACH'S ESCAPE

"And all the other prisoners were freed too!" Toad finished translating from the report he was being given. Peach smiled at the report. Now, Wario had another strong ally on his side, and another Star Piece to his collection. She felt that it was only a matter of time now before Luigi's Threat was ended and peace returned.

"Toad, tell our informants we are grateful for the news and to keep sending it." Peach said, remembering her diplomatic nature from before Luigi's reign. 

"Uh, the news isn't done yet..." Toad began, a look of fear on his face. 

Peach turned to face the Mushroom Man, wondering what was going on. "What is it Toad? What's wrong?"  
Toad gulped and reported. "Apparently, Luigi's sending out his toughest troops after Wario's Crew."

Peach too now had a look of fear on his face. She knew what this meant...Luigi was sending out the Ghost and Metal Squad, a group of fighters that had never been defeated in battle before. They were everything that an evil dictator could hope for...ruthless, cunning, and altogether dangerous. And this was just them without their add-ons. Give them either cybernetic parts or undead abilities and they're even more deadly. "Uh...who's leading them?" Peach asked nervously, hoping the situation wouldn't get any worse.

Her hopes were dashed by Toad's reply. "Pauline...and Kamek."

Peach knew that the group was in trouble now. As dangerous as the Ghost and Metal Squad was, with Pauline's leadership and Kamek's supernatural powers, the group was even more deadly. Only one thing could make this worse. "Uh...anyone else joining them?" Peach asked, worried.

Toad's reply came silently and full of fear. "The Skull Knight...he is leading the front line."

That clinched it. Unless someone did something and fast, the mission that Wario and his group were on would end with their deaths. The Skull Knight was the fighter that made the Ghost and Metal squad as deadly as they were. He was a fighter that Kamek captured and cursed, thus making him into a living skeleton warrior. He had powers that were deadly enough to destroy most fighters with only one blow. And the worse part of it all was that Peach knew who he used to be. Before Luigi took over, he was Prince Mallow. Peach made a decision then that she thought she would regret later as she walked to the fake wall where she and Toad received their messages.

Toad looked and Peach, confused. "Majesty, what are you doing?" 

"Toad, unless someone goes to warn them, Wario and his crew are done for. I'm gonna be the one that warns them."

"But...what if they find out you're not here? Who knows what they'll do."

"I have to take that risk Toad. Those guys are risking their necks out there for us, so why shouldn't at least one of us do the same?"  
"Truer words are hardly ever spoken." Another female voice said from behind the wall that Peach was standing in front of. After a few seconds, two figures stepped out of the hole. Both figures were dressed in black jumpsuits, but that didn't prevent Peach from recognizing them...or having a tear in her eyes when she saw who they were.

"Daisy...Yoshi...oh stars!" 

The three figures embraced in a hug and the two females cried happily, having finally seen each other after 2 years of various incidents. "It's good to see you face to face at last, Peachy-Girl." Daisy said.

"Why...why did you never show who you were?" Peach asked.

"We didn't feel it was just the right time." Yoshi replied. "We didn't want to come out too early and have a possibility of being caught."

"Things have changed now though." Daisy said. "Now that we have others on the outside helping us, we need to make sure they don't fail in their little mission."

"Yeah, so let's get you out there!" Yoshi added.

"Hold on just a minute there..." Toad began, walking up to the trio of happy friends "Haven't you forgotten something? If the guards notice Peach is missing, then they'll know about you."

The all knew Toad was right. The guards had little trust in their prisoners already...if one of them was found to have escaped, their cover would be blown. Peach looked to the two informers to see if they had any ideas...and she got one of her own as she dragged Daisy into the opening in the wall. After a few seconds of the sounds of rustling and Toad and Yoshi giving each other looks of confusion, Peach and Daisy came back out...wearing the opposite outfit that they were wearing before.

"Wow." was all that Toad and Yoshi could say, seeing how similar the two looked next to each other. The two girls in the meantime hugged once again and took positions for their mission: Daisy where Peach was, and Peach where Daisy was. Peach looked to her loyal friend before leaving

"Toad, take care of her, OK?"

"As you wish, your majesty." was the last thing she heard him say after she entered the wall.

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After nearly 15 minutes of crawling around in the tunnels, Yoshi had led Peach to a grating in the wall. "Now Princess..."

Peach held her hand out. "Please, it's just Peach now."

"Right...listen, this is as far as I can take you now. If you go out of this wall, make a left and go towards the end of the hall. One of Luigi's trooper vessels is there."

"Aren't you coming with me?" Peach asked, a slight tear in her eye. "I mean, it would be safer if someone escorted me out of the castle."

"Sorry Peach, but we need at least one secret person on our side. Just in case everyone else is caught."

Peach really looked teary eyed at this. Forgetting how serious the situation was and how urgently she needed to get out, she grabbed Yoshi tightly and gave him one great big hug. "Be careful, OK?"  
"As you wish." Yoshi said, smirking a little. "Just remember...in the maze of trees, sanctity and allies are waiting." 

And with that, Yoshi went off into the darkness, Peach just sitting there crying.

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After about 5 minutes of sitting, saying her good-byes to people that she knew wouldn't hear her, Peach thought about how she was going to get out of the castle. She had seen schematics of the exterior of Castle Luigi hundreds of times before, but they only offered a rough estimate on what threats awaited those that tried to escape from the vast depths of Luigi's castle. 'There must be something I can do.' she thought as she looked out through the grating she was hiding behind. Besides various statues of Luigi and a monitor, there was only one other thing out there...a Koopa guard. Peach first thought she would have to wait a long time to get out. But just then, she got an idea that would easily let her escape. With one hard kick, she hit the grating and sent it flying into the Koopa guard. The guard didn't have a chance as he was wiped out by it. Making sure no one was looking, Peach quickly took it's shell and armor and put them on herself. They were a little tight fit, but few ever looked at the guards and gave them any notice. Peach easily breezed through the hallways after donning the armor, and made it to the door to the castle.

That's when things got complicated, as the Gate Guard stopped her.

"Just where do you think YOU'RE going?" The gruff, large, mutated Koopa asked Peach. She stood there, thinking for about a minute.

"Uh, Lord Luigi sent me to give word to the Ghost and Metal squad."

"Oh really?" It snorted, almost disbelieving. "And why did he choose to send you?"

"Cause I'm a freak..." she quickly stated, showing herself. The guard snorted again.

"Well, that's good enough reason. All right, get out of here." Peach sighed with relief that that had worked. She quickly ran out, and once in the woods discarded her borrowed outfit and ran off in search of Wario's group, hoping that she wasn't too late.

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CHAPTER 8: THE GHOST AND METAL SQUAD STRIKE

"You know, things have been going too easy since we escaped."

Both Bowser and Geno looked at Wario after he said that. It had been 3 days since the prison had been destroyed and their small group had gathered all but 2 of the precious Star Pieces with little trouble. As they sat by their small campfire, they talked a bit about minor things until Wario's most recent comment.

"Maybe Luigi's becoming afraid of us." Bowser suggested with a slight smirk on his reptilian face. Geno shook his head at Bowser's comment.

"I severely doubt that Bowser." he said as he adjusted his Finger Gun. "Though we may be strong in our own rights, Luigi's got both an army and magic on his side, still giving him the advantage."

"He won't have it too much longer." Wario added as he cracked his knuckles. "Once we get the Star Road fixed, we'll easily take the green asshole down! And I'll be in the money once again!"

"Is that all you can think about Wario, money?" Geno asked with slight disgust in his voice.

"Why do you think I started this mission in the first place?"

Bowser was about to laugh at this classic exchange between the two, when his ears heard something in the distance. Both Wario and Geno looked to their comrade curiously. "I hear something..." was all he said before walking towards some nearby bushes. Sounds of rustling, now audible to all close by were heard. After about 30 seconds the sound stopped and Bowser came out...with someone over his shoulder.

"Great, just what we need" Wario began, almost grunting what he said. "one of Luigi's spies." 

"PUT ME DOWN ALREADY, I'M NO SPY!"

Wario's expression, as well as Bowser and Geno's, changed when they heard this new voice. Bowser quickly set the girl down before them. When they saw who it was, their jaws dropped.

"Princess Toadstool?"

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"...and that's why I'm here now."

As the trio listened to Peach tell the tale of the armies coming their way, they absorbed the information quickly.

"If this is true," Geno began "then we don't have much of a chance to win."

"We're NOT going down to some spirits and tin cans." Wario stated, a sneer on his face. "We'll run if we have to, but there's no way I'm letting us get defeated."

"But Wario...they're experts. They'll kill you at the first chance they get." Peach said, a bit of worry in her voice. Before she could continue, a set of claws went towards her throat.

"Wait a second," Bowser said, a look of hatred in his eyes "how do we know that she's telling the truth? For all we know, she could be working for Luigi..."

Before anyone could reply, a small explosion was heard, and a streaking sound was heard coming near them. One statement was given, and followed without argument, by Wario.

"RUN!"

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"Well, did it hit them?" Pauline asked impatiently. Kamek sighed as he peered out into his binoculars from the hill where they were stationed, somewhat over the campsite where Wario and his allies were resting at. As he looked, he saw the missile that was launched from Pauline's arm fly right into the center of the campsite, destroying everything nearby.

"Well, we hit the target..." Kamek began. Pauline smirked evilly, thinking that the resistance was over. "However..."

"Kamek...I do NOT like when the word 'However' is used." she stated, her cybernetic eyeball glowing right at him. "What happened?"

"Well...they managed to escape and run off ma'am."

Pauline's anger was quickly rising. It was bad enough that Wario and his troop had evaded Pauline's subordinates this long...now they were evading her own weaponry. "How in the hell could he have known about the attack? There's no way he could have heard it in time to run!"

"Once again" a voice began behind the cyborg "it seems that you have underestimated your opponent, Pauline." Pauline just winced internally when she heard that voice. Of all the creatures and characters under Luigi's command, this fighter was the one warrior that she could not control or even tolerate much.

"Skull Night...I don't care that you're the leader of the Ghost and Metal Squad, or even if you are undead. I am second in command, and Luigi put ME in charge of this mission. So you do NOT criticize, question, or even comment on my methods."

"Ah, but I must comment on them" Knight began with an air of snobbishness about himself "when your methods totally and without question suck."

"What did you just say" was the only reply from the cyber-fem, who had her arm ready for bear. Skull Knight, his pure skeletal frame not hiding much (if anything), reached for his long, jagged, horrific looking sword in preparation for a battle.

"Perhaps you two have forgotten..." Kamek interjected, putting his wand between the two fighters "but we have a fat man and his little band to deal with."

The two warriors stood there for a couple of minutes, staring down each other, seemingly oblivious to the small Magikoopa as he talked. Finally, Pauline broke the silence as she grunted at Skull Knight.

"OK Hot Shot" she began, almost spitting on the skeletal figure as she talked "since you seem to know EVERYTHING about battle tactics, what do YOU suggest we do next?"  
S.K. smiled and had one of his metallic Koopas bring a map of the area towards them. "From where they are positioned right now, there are only two places for them to go. The first possible place is Thorn City, which I doubt they will go to because of our informants there."

Both Pauline and Kamek nodded at the obvious. Thorn City, formerly Rose Town, was a center of operations for a sector of Luigi's forces. "Where's the other place?" Kamek added.

"Someplace where they could feel secluded from us...where they believe that they can hide out until they're ready..."

"Knight, take half of your troops and cover the south side of this place. I'll take the other half and cover the north side. Kamek, you're with Knight. LET'S MOVE OUT!"

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"Crud...we need a place to hide."

Geno was already ahead of Wario, and was looking at his surroundings. "Let's see...last I remember Rose Town was that way, and Forrest Maze was this way..." Bowser looked to Wario.  
"What do you think?"  
"Time to have ourselves lost."

"We won't be that lost." Peach interjected, remembering what Yoshi said. Everyone looked to her, but she just motioned for them to look where they were running. After dodging various metal projectiles heading right towards them, they made it to their destination...

...only to find it blocked off by various metallic Koopas and strange ghost-like figures. And at the head of all this was Pauline, smiling and holding her blaster right towards the group.

"Well well, it seems your little resistance has come to an end. And oh, Princess," she continued, looking directly at Peach. "you're gonna wish you were dead after Lord Luigi punishes you for your escape."

The full force of the Ghost and Metal Squad soon surrounded all four "rebels". The sheer numbers of near transparent specters and shiny yet deadly chrome turtles surprised everyone...especially Wario. Peach, in the meantime, started to smile. "I'm glad that you find this all amusing, Princess." 

"Kill us if you can" Peach began, praying internally that her idea would work "but I think that we're only the beginning of a much larger operation."

Before Pauline...or anyone for that matter...could reply, a large laser blast shot right in the middle of where Pauline and the group of "rebels". The blast left a large smoke screen, covering up vision for everyone in the nearby area. Though they couldn't see, the "rebels" ran right towards where they remembered the forest was. A strange tall yet thin silhouette intercepted them, however.

"Come with me if you want to live." the figure stated, leading the way. 

"What should we do?" Geno asked.

"What the man said." Wario said as he followed. As he followed, however, he couldn't help but feel that this figure was familiar...

___________________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED!


End file.
